Losing Ash, Trusting Dash
by PrincessVictory
Summary: Takes place shortly after Moving On. After an accident that causes Ash to go unconscious, he wakes up with no recollection of anything other than his own name, and staring face to face with his "father" Giovanni. Over the course of three years, he is labeled as missing, leaving Misty, his widow, to raise two children on her own. Is all hope lost, or will he find his way back?
1. Prologue: Dash and Missie

**A/N: Hey, you guys! I hope my Moving On fans haven't given up on a sequel yet! I finally got up off my lazy butt and decided to be productive this summer, so here I am. :P Now, do understand, for those of you new readers, you DON'T have to read Moving On to understand what's going on, but if you want to, well, I'm not stopping you. :) Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys, and feel free to share your opinions and any questions you may have!^.^ I really do appreciate every review I receive!:D**

Prologue: Dash and Missie

"Will I... see you again, Dash?" the sun-streaked redhead asked tentatively, tucking a strand of cerulean blue highlights behind her ear. She glanced over at the man in question, his scarlet eyes meeting little pools of sea foam green. They'd just gone out on their third date, for once without her two tagalong children, Ansly and AJ, clinging to her sides. Her oldest sibling had been kind enough to sit for her (after much bribery and a massive amount of begging, of course). They'd been walking the quiet streets of Cerulean City when he'd told her the news of his latest business departure, and she wasn't quite sure she fathomed seeing him go.

"Of course, Missie! I'll only be gone a week. Two, at the most! I couldn't stand leaving you and Ansie and AJ any longer!" the man replied, running his fingers through his spiky ash blond locks. "I promise, Missie. I'll be back before you know it!" He gave her a hesitant grin, waiting for a slap in the face or a snappy retort, as was usual with the hotheaded woman. But neither ever came.

"Well... Okay then. Promise me you'll be safe," she reluctantly replied, biting her lip nervously. She couldn't handle losing this man, not when she'd already lost the love of her life in an accident nearly three years ago. After that, she'd vowed never to love again, yet somehow Dash had managed to mend some of those wounds her lost love had left in her heart. But there would always be scars.

Scars that not even this man, who reminded her so much of her first love that it left a myriad of mixed emotions she couldn't begin to comprehend or explain, could heal.

"I promise, Missie," he reassured her, letting his blood red eyes take in her appearance one last time before he took his leave. She looked so beautiful that night, her cerulean and sun-streaked red hair falling in thick, luscious curls at her shoulders, her flowing green strapless dress hugging her athletic figure in just the right places, and her sea foam green eyes shrouded in affection and concern, along with an emotion that always filled her eyes whenever he saw them: sadness. Sadness caused by a past she refused to tell him about, for fear she would have to relive the horrifying memories that already kept her up every night due to the heartbreaking nightmares they'd created. "Tell Ansie and AJ I'll miss them, and I promise to call every chance I get."

Missie nodded. "Well, looks like this is it," she said, stopping at the front steps of her home, an old two-bedroom red brick apartment she'd started renting shortly after AJ had been born. She turned to give the man a hug, but was interrupted by his lips lightly grazing hers. He quickly pulled away, unsure why he'd done what he had, and averted his gaze to the dark and lonely sidewalks of Cerulean City.

"I'll, uh, see you later, Missie," he told her, his face turning a light shade of crimson that thankfully the darkness obscured from her vision. Or so he hoped, anyway.

"You too, Dash," she replied, watching him as he made his way back down the sidewalk until his figure was completely covered by night. "I love you." Suddenly, she heard a light dinning noise from behind; the click of a pistol. Her body tensed as she felt the cold steel object being pressed against her temples, aiming straight for her brain.

She wanted to panic, to cry out for Dash's help, but fear had left her paralyzed, unable to speak, to move, to even so much as breathe.

"Shhhh," a husky voice crooned from behind. "Don't want to get Dashy Boy involved, now do we? Look Red, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Your choice. Either you do what I tell you now, and this'll all go much smoother if you do, or I can kill both you and your kids before Dash even has time to get home."

_My kids?! Not Ansly and AJ! _But she couldn't bring herself to give an intelligible reply. When little had been said aside from a few mumbles and even a slight cry in disdain, her captor continued.

"Sure are a quiet one, aren't you?" he cackled, raising an eyebrow. "I need an answer, Red. Do or die?"

_Dash, I need you! Dash! _she thought, but by then he was long gone, leaving her with little hope and no way out of her latest predicament. "I…I'll do it," she finally muttered, much to her captor's delight.

He'd much rather torture a few heartbroken hostages than murder a few helpless victims. "Good choice, Red. Now, I want you to go to the door and act like I'm not even here," he explained to her, bringing his mouth so close to her ear she could feel his warm breath tickling her cheek. "Unless you want the lovely Miss Daisy to suffer the same fate."

Missie nodded quietly, worry and anxiety setting in as she struggled to catch a glimpse of her captor, but to no avail. What about her children? What would he do to them?

The man took no notice of her unasked questions, instead shoving his pistol deeper into the side of her head and cupping a hand over her mouth to muffle her cry out in agony as the cold metal cut into her delicate ivory skin.

"Now go. And hurry it up. Don't keep me waiting. I don't _like_ waiting," the man growled as she made it up the concrete steps and rang the doorbell. He'd stepped into the shadows to avoid being seen, but kept a firm aim straight at her temples to keep her from making a run for it.

"It's me, Daze," she said quietly as the blonde unlocked the latch and let the door swing open.

"Like, it sure took you long enough," the blonde replied, rolling her emerald eyes and holding out a hand to receive her payment for the night.

"Oh, yeah," Missie realized, pulling her wallet out of her black shoulder bag and sifting through it for the desired amount. "Did the kids act right?" she asked, trying to keep Daisy's attention on her. If Daisy caught sight of her captor, she couldn't imagine the outcome. _Might as well save the only person I can,_ she thought, handing her sister the PokéDollars she'd earned working at the bakery down the road as a confectionary chef.

"Yeah, yeah, sleeping like Snorlax," muttered Daisy, closing her hand around the money Missie had handed her. "They were like, perfect little Togepi."

Missie let out a sigh of relief. At least they hadn't shown out around her sister. "Well, see you later, Daze. Thanks a lot," Missie told her, allowing a tentative smile cross her face as Daisy made her way out the door.

"You too. Like, anytime, little sis," she simply replied, turning toward home and not bothering to look back to see the man holding her sister hostage. As soon as she was out of sight, the shady man closed the distance between his pistol and the small of Missie's back, shoving her inside and slamming the door behind them.

"Good job, Red. Didn't think you had it in you," he grunted, shaking his head.

"What do you want?" she spat, glaring back at him.

"Feisty one, aren't we? I think you should be asking your beloved _Dash_ that one," he snidely remarked, thrusting her farther into the apartment. "Now show me where your phone is. I've got a phone call to make."

* * *

"You're late, son," a gruff voice said as Dash made his way down the corridor toward his room.

"Father, it isn't even midnight yet," he remarked, swerving to face the source of the voice. "And I'm twenty-seven for Arceus's sake. Shouldn't I be allowed some freedom? I was just saying farewell to a friend of mine."

"I told you not to get close to that girl, Dash. The future head of Team Rocket can't afford to have such _attachments_ to the civilians here in Kanto. It would only complicate matters. No more of it, do you hear?" Giovanni stated, locking his dark eyes onto his son. "And that's an order."

"No worries, Father. She won't be hearing from me again. I said goodbye, didn't I? Isn't that enough?" Dash answered coldly, staring just as icily back at his father with emotionless red eyes. "Or does she have to die too?"

He was referring to his mother, whom Giovanni told him had died in an "accident" for trying to interfere with Team Rocket's plans. "It's not like I told her I was a member of Team Rocket. She just knows I'm going away for a while because of work."

Giovanni smirked. "I'd expect nothing less from you, my boy. Now, go finish preparations; you depart in the morning."

"Yes, Father," he replied through gritted teeth, ending their abrupt conversation and making his way to his quarters, located just past his father's own and directly beside Domino's.

"So, ready for our mission, Dashy?" he heard a woman's high soprano voice titter, and turned to face none other than the Team Rocket Executive herself, in a light blue outfit that left very little to the imagination.

Dash snorted. "As long as you stay out of my way and do what you're actually _supposed _to this time," he sneered, rolling his eyes.

"Well, it's not _my_ fault some Grunt tripped me and I ended up crashing into you," she retorted, crossing over to him and lightly running her fingers across the outline of his chest as she gave him her signature pouty look.

Dash sighed and pulled away. "Just leave Lance to me, Dom, and you handle the rest of the operation. If you can do that, there's really no way to screw _this_ one up," he responded bitterly. Too many times had the ditzy blonde gotten in the way of things, and this time, he intended to prevent it at all costs. Even if it meant taking a person's life in the process.

Domino gasped. "I resent that! Why, you little—"

"Good night, Domino," Dash told her calmly, shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath. Domino let out a huff of annoyance.

"You think this is over, Dash Metchuk? Well, you can go—"

"I said good night, Domino," he interrupted sternly, opening the door to his quarters and slipping through it, leaving her to wonder what had gotten into him to cause him to act in such a rude manner. After shutting the door, he slumped down against it and sighed, running his fingers through his hair. Why couldn't she just leave him alone for once? All she ever did was constantly flirt with him and always wore promiscuous clothing whenever he was around, often making sure she got assigned the same mission just to flaunt her latest outfit.

He didn't understand. It wasn't like he'd led her on; more often than not he actually did the exact opposite. _Oh well._ He'd never understand the women at Rocket HQ. Now Missie, on the other hand, he understood completely, for the most part.

_Missie,_ he thought, frowning softly. _When will I be able to see you again?_ He couldn't stop seeing her like he was ordered, despite the risk that came with defying his father, the head of the biggest criminal organization in the entire Pokémon World. He had to think of a way. _Maybe a rendezvous point, or a secret place to go? _He shook his head.

He already had to ask her to block her number whenever she called. If he kept this up, she would start to get suspicious. And he couldn't have that, not when it put her life at risk.

"Ring ring ring, ring ring ring, phone call, phone call!" his videophone called from the next room.

_And speak of the devil. _He got to his feet and walked into his bedroom, where his dark green videophone was located, and clicked the answer button. The screen turned black, letting him know it was an audio-only conversation.

"Couldn't be without me for a minute, could you?" he asked sardonically, chuckling lightly at Missie.

Then he heard cackling over the receiver. Cackling that definitely didn't sound like Missie's.

"Dash! Dash, help me!" he heard a voice screaming in the background, muffled undoubtedly by a cloth soaked through in ether.

"Missie!" he exclaimed, reaching out at the screen as if his arm could go through it. "Who are you, and what are you doing to Missie?!"

"Boss's orders, Dash. He told you to leave her alone, you know. I promise, I won't kill her. Yet, anyway," the voice answered, sniggering maniacally. Wait. He recognized that voice.

Slamming his fists on the keyboard, he screamed, "Petrel! I swear, if you even _think_ about touching her, I'll—"

"You'll what, Dashy Boy? You're a good five miles away, if not further. I have plenty of time to do _anything_ I want to before you could even make it out of HQ." Dash had to admit, he proved a point.

Yet that did little but further fuel Dash's fury. "Why is he ordering this, Petrel? What do I have to do to make him stop?"

"Orders are orders, Dash. I don't question 'em, I just do what he says. I'd take all this up with the Boss if I were you," Petrel replied, a hint of humor in his voice.

"What else is he telling you to do to her?!" he snarled, this question more urgent and anxious than the previous ones had been.

"Afraid I can't say, Dash. But he did tell me to pass _this _on to you: 'be a good little boy, son, and no one gets hurt.'"

_No one? Wait._

"Where are Ansie and AJ? What about Daisy?"

"Sleeping like Snorlax in their beds, like little kids are supposed to at midnight," Petrel answered sarcastically, undoubtedly rolling his eyes. "And the blonde? Left without a word when her delightful sister let her know she was home. Didn't even know I was there."

"I'm serious, Petrel! Don't mess with me like that!" Dash screamed through the receiver, his face turning red from anger.

"Geez, calm down a bit over there. You almost sound like you actually _care _about what happens to those brats. The Grunts got 'em too, if you really wanna know."

"Petrel, you _better_ not—"

"Again with the threats. You can't do anything, so don't bother trying. Just do what the Boss says, and I'm _pretty_ sure he'll let 'em live."

"Petrel!" But before he could ask anymore, the line went dead, leaving him alone in eerie silence to wonder what Petrel planned to do to them. He slammed the receiver down in its cradle and let out a huff of annoyance.

_I have to talk to Father about this._

However, when he went to the front door, he found it locked from the outside, undoubtedly by Domino before she slipped into her own room. _So she was a decoy this entire time!_ Dash let out a growl of anger. He tugged at his belt loop, pulling at the spot where his Charizard was _supposed_ to be.

_No way!_ He glanced down at his belt loop, and sure enough, all of his Poké Balls were gone. _Domino must've swiped them when we were talking,_ he realized, facepalming.

_Wait. There's one left._

He plucked it from its spot and pressed the button to enlarge it. A little yellow lightning bolt caught his eye. _Pikachu._ He hadn't released the Pokémon in forever, not since the day Giovanni had found him in the woods all alone. The fateful day he'd lost his entire memory, nearly three years ago.

He'd contemplated releasing the Pokémon, as Giovanni had suggested (more like ordered), but he couldn't bring himself to part with the little yellow mouse. Some part of him recognized Pikachu as his first Pokémon, and even though he couldn't remember that day, he had no intentions of letting go of the only shred of his past he could actually recall. "Pikachu, come on out," he whispered, almost unsure whether he'd spoken the words aloud or not.

He threw the Poké Ball in the air to reveal the Electric Mouse Pokémon, who looked less than happy to see him. Almost angry, even. "Pi pi pi!" he shrieked, jumping away from his Trainer and tensing up, emitting sparks of electricity from his cheeks.

"Pikachu, it's me! Don't you remember me?" he asked, biting his lip in apprehension. "It's Dash." It was almost like Pikachu had forgotten who he was completely. The Pokémon glared at his Trainer, slowly relaxing as he took in what Dash was saying.

"Pika?" the Pokémon asked, frowning. This Trainer couldn't be his owner, could he? But they looked so much alike…

"Pikachu, I need your help," the man pleaded, dropping to his knees. "Missie… I know you don't know her, but she's in trouble, and I can't stop it." The desperation in the blond man's voice made Pikachu sympathize for him. Trainer or not, he had to help this man somehow. It's what his Trainer would've wanted.

"Pika, pi pi pi," Pikachu conceded. "Pikachu, pi pi pika?"

"Can you bust this door open with a Thunder attack, or maybe an Electro Ball?" Pikachu cut his eyes in the direction of the door and quickly shook his head. The metallic grey door was steel enforced and lined with rubber, so unless he used Charizard's Fire Blast or another Fire-type move, there wasn't much hope of getting out.

"Could you at least try?" Pikachu rolled his eyes. _Might as well_, he thought, walking up to the door and producing a ball of electricity balanced perfectly on his tail, which he promptly shot at the destined target. Instead of doing what was intended, it bounced off and was sent flying in Dash's direction.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu screamed, rushing to catch the Electro Ball before it collided with Dash. But he was just a few seconds too late.

"Wahhh!" Dash screamed in pain as the electricity coursed through his entire body. He fell backward, panting long after the last of the electricity had ebbed away. "Gee, Pikachu. Some shock you gave your Trainer," he finally said, chuckling lightly.

Pikachu smiled. _Maybe this is my Trainer after all… _He walked over to where the boy was laying, a smug look on his face.

"Father thinks something like this'll stop me? As if." He rose to his feet, and, after steadying himself from the shock he'd received, charged at the door. "I'm not—huff—about to—huff—let anyone—huff—stop me!"

Pikachu couldn't help but stare in amazement at the determination this boy had. He had to be his Trainer. He just had to. Pikachu sighed._ If this is my Trainer, then that means Missie must be—wait a minute._

Pikachu took off through the house, searching for a window to escape through. Dash was too busy ineffectively tackling the door to notice. He finally found one, big enough for him alone to fit through, in the middle of Dash's somewhat quaint and despondently plain bedroom. "Pika pi!" he called to his Trainer, trying to get his attention.

"What is it, Pikachu?" the man replied, running toward the direction Pikachu's voice was coming from.

"Pika! Pi pi pi!" the Pokémon exclaimed, pointing at the window.

"But I can't fit through there, Pikachu," Dash mumbled, scratching his head and plopping down on his full-sized, standard issue bed. Pikachu facepalmed, then pointed at himself.

"Pi pi pi!"

"Oh, I get it now! You're gonna get me out of here by climbing through it and opening the door from the outside!" Pikachu nodded. Finally, he was catching on. A look of urgency crossed his Trainer's face. "Well, I'd hurry up if I were you, Pikachu. Domino's bound to realize sooner or later that she missed a Pokémon and come looking for you."

"Pika!" The Pokémon understood, and quickly climbed out the window before such a thing could happen. There wasn't much time, and he had to save his Trainer, before it was too late.

_I'm gonna get you out of here, Ash. And we're gonna rescue Misty. I promise._


	2. Chapter 1: The Fall

**A/N: *hiding behind a pillow* I know it's been a while, but I'm back. I just finished this chapter, and I'm so sorry to make everyone wait! I've had class all summer, and church, and practice, and... Well, you get the picture. Please don't kill me! I do hope this chapter makes up for it somehow!:P Enjoy!^.^**

Chapter 1: The Fall

_Three years ago…_

"Well, what do you expect me to do, Misty?! Sit around while Team Rocket wreaks havoc across the entire Pokémon World?!" the raven-haired hero demanded, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Ash, I thought we agreed you wouldn't do this anymore! We were supposed to settle down, to finally start our lives together!" Misty retorted, tears defiantly springing to her eyes. _Stupid mood swings_, she thought wryly, blaming her hormones for the way she was acting. "What about Ansly, Ash? And what about our baby?" she asked, clutching a hand to the little miracle growing inside her.

"They'll be fine, Mist. I'll be back before you know I'm gone," he replied, somewhat calmer than before. "I promise, as soon as I come back, we'll start moving into that little house we found just down the road from Mom." He quickly closed the distance between them and took her in his arms, holding her as close as he could and taking in her sweet ocean scent. He stood there as her tears soaked through his dark gray t-shirt, and lightly kissed her on the forehead.

"I love you, Mist. I love you so much," he told her, letting his chocolate gaze rest on her face one last time. Her sea foam green eyes were filled with worry, and the fear of losing him again further provoked her anxiety. He caressed her cheek and tucked a stray strand of fiery red hair behind her ear before pulling away. "I promise I'll be back."

"You better, Ash Ketchum!" she exclaimed, somewhat more forcefully than she'd intended. "You better."

"Eh, Brock, take care of her and Ansie-bug while I'm gone, okay? I'm counting on you," Ash said, smirking over at his best friend, whom Misty would be staying with while Ash was away.

"Of course! You don't need to worry about a thing, Ash," his wife Suzy replied, beaming a bright smile in his direction. Brock had started dating Suzy not long after he and Cecilia broke up, and they'd just gotten married less than a month ago. Somehow, Misty and Ash always kind of figured he'd end up with the cerulean-haired breeder, even when he swore up and down that this girl or that girl was _definitely_ the One.

"Now, Ansie-bug, I want you to be good for Mommy, okay? Daddy will be back quicker than a speeding Rapidash!" he exclaimed, hugging the little two-year-old that looked so much like her mother. She had her mother's sea foam green eyes, and her curly auburn hair was pulled into Misty's signature side ponytail with a cerulean-colored Goldeen Scrunchie.

Ansly giggled, enjoying Ash's continuous use of Pokémon analogies. "Okay, Daddy!" Despite not being the toddler's biological father, Ash couldn't help but love her all the same, even if it did leave an aching in his heart that he hadn't been Misty's first and only.

"Take good care of Mommy and your little brother or sister, okay, Ansie?" Ash asked, patting the jubilant little girl on the head. Ansly nodded, smiling up at her daddy like he was the only person in the entire front yard.

"Bye bye Daddy!" she exclaimed, waving at him as he turned to depart from Brock's house, located just outside Pewter City and right across the street from his own parents, Clint and Lola, along with what remained of his younger siblings that still lived with them.

It wasn't a very large home, Misty noted, and had a much more contemporary look to it than the houses she was used to seeing back in Pallet. It was a two-bedroom house built out of red brick, with a roof of black shingles and cobblestone steps that led up to a forest green door with the number fifty-four painted in loopy gold lettering. "Misty, feel free to make yourselves at home," Suzy said as Brock held open the door for her and Ansly to walk inside.

Suzy didn't have to tell Ansly twice. As soon as she walked through Uncle Brock's door, she slipped her shoes off and hopped onto the burgundy couch to watch some much desired Pokémon cartoons.

Misty decided to take a seat beside her, glancing around at the nicely decorated living room, undoubtedly due to Suzy's good taste. The couch had a matching recliner directly across from it, and directly in front of her was a redwood coffee table, with matching end tables on either side of the medium-sized sofa. A pine entertainment center was placed against the back red wall, with a black flatscreen on top and shelves of movies and Wii games located on the bottom. (The Wii games probably belonged to Brock, who got into video games shortly after realizing his journeying days were officially behind him, since he'd opened up his own breeders' shop a little over two years ago.) A white window was right behind it, draped in Vulpix-themed curtains to match the rest of the crimson-colored room. A bookcase full of breeders' guides, berry catalogs, and Pokémon books was set beside the entrance into the dining room, while the videophone was installed beside the opposite entrance into the hallway leading to the bathroom and bedrooms.

Misty sighed. How long had it been since she'd last visited him? She couldn't recall a single time in the last six months that she'd stopped by with Ash and Ansly. Then again, she'd also been pretty consumed in her newlywed life with Ash, the Kanto Champion, her somewhat oblivious husband, and the love of her life.

"Misty, would you like a cup of tea?" Suzy called from the kitchen, where Brock was currently making lunch.

"That'd be great, Suzy!" Misty replied, standing up and walking toward the dining room. Ansly was too engrossed in the latest episode of _My Little Ponyta_ to notice her mother's exit.

The dining room was decorated just as nicely, Misty noted, with a round glass table and four matching silver chairs just off-center of the room, and a large birdcage for their pet Chatot placed in the back corner beside the front door, which was just a few shades darker than the green walls surrounding it. Luckily, the Chatterbox Pokémon was asleep at the moment, or it would've been squawking away incessantly at its visitors. Being the breeders that Brock and Suzy were, a ceramic bowl of fresh berries was the centerpiece of the table. The dining room was directly connected to the kitchen, separated by a counter with two oak barstools in front of it.

The kitchen was probably the brightest of the rooms, with a silver stove, a fridge, a sink, and a plethora of oak cabinets dotting the painted yellow walls. A lone window was placed in front of the sink, curtained by Pikachu-themed drapes and decorated with various flowers on the sill and a set of yellow chimes hung from above. The countertops were made of blue granite, and the floor was tiled in white.

"Suzy, I love what you've done with the place!" Misty commented, taking a seat on one of the barstools as Suzy slid a cerulean glass of sweet iced tea in her direction. "No offense, Brock, but you had the _worst_ taste in décor."

"I know, I know," Brock responded, chuckling lightly. "But I can still cook a mean lazy-boy 'no-chew' stew!"

Misty sighed, breathing in the scent of sage and rosemary as Brock continued to prepare the dish. She couldn't wait to taste Brock's cooking once again.

"Thank you, Misty; it's nice to know _someone_ appreciates the hard work I put into this place," Suzy replied, giving her husband a playful nudge in the arm.

"Hurtful," Brock remarked, "of course I appreciate it, Suze!"

"I was being sarcastic, dear," Suzy explained, earning a laugh from Misty and a snort of amusement from Brock.

"Mommy, Mommy, come look!" Ansly screamed from the living room. "Daddy's on TV!" Misty rose from her seat and ambled back into the living room, where a headshot of her husband was brandished on the sleek flatscreen television. It was a rerun of the Silver Conference, where he'd finally defeated his archrival Gary, which to Misty's dismay was Ansly's biological father. "And Pikachu!"

"That's right, honey," Misty replied, smiling down at her little Ledyba. As much as she loathed Bug Pokémon, and as well as Ash knew that, he'd decided to give Ansly that nickname, and despite Misty's efforts to change it, the nickname got stuck. But even she could admit that Ledyba were much cuter than most Bug Pokémon she'd come across over the years. At least he didn't nickname her his little Caterpie. Misty would've killed him before he did that. "Daddy and Pikachu when he was just ten years old!"

Suzy and Brock had also been watching from the dining room entrance, Suzy with a plate and drying towel in her hand, and Brock with a mixing spoon from his stew. Suzy smiled as she watched Misty sit beside her daughter, who promptly hopped onto her mother's lap as they continued watching the prerecorded battle. After many comments of awe from the little toddler, the battle ended, with Ash as its victor.

"Daddy won!" Ansly exclaimed, clapping her hands in excitement.

"Yeah, he did, didn't he?" Misty remarked, staring at the screen longingly. She'd give anything to go back to when they were ten, when life was simple, journeys were real, and boys were icky. _Well, not all boys,_ she thought, correcting herself. She'd never thought Ash was, nor Brock or Rudy or Danny, at any rate. She kissed her daughter's forehead and embraced her once more before standing and making her way back to the kitchen, where Suzy and Brock were back to preparing lunch for the day.

She climbed onto a barstool and slumped against the countertop, with one arm supporting her head as she watched her friends finish cooking the food and setting the table. She yawned, already sleepy as a Snorlax, even if she'd pretty much been a Slakoth the entire day.

"Well, the food's ready, Misty, if you wanna call Ansly into the dining room," Suzy told her, moving the table's centerpiece onto the countertop and replacing it with a pot of Brock's lazy-boy 'no-chew' stew. She used a ladle to fill four bowlfuls, taking extra care to give Ansly just a bit less than the others before putting the pot back on the stove and taking a seat beside her husband, who was already seated at the table.

* * *

"Ansly, lunchtime!" Misty called from the barstool, slowly getting to her feet and taking the seat across from Suzy, putting Ansly right across from her Uncle Brock.

At the sound of her mother's voice, Ansly jumped from the couch and rushed into the dining room, readier than ever to eat her uncle's wonderful cooking. He cooked _way_ better than her mommy and daddy, in her opinion.

She took the seat beside her mommy, propping her elbows up on the circular glass table and taking a bite of the stew. She drained the bowl within a few minutes, and quickly demanded more from Misty. Tugging on the redhead's cerulean blue sleeve, Ansly cried, "More, Mommy!"

Her mommy sighed and picked up her bowl, walking over to the stove and ladling more stew into it. As the auburn-haired toddler waited on Misty to bring the food back, her mind wandered to the whereabouts of her father, Ash.

_Where did Daddy go?_ Ansly wondered, glancing at the back door, where she'd last seen her father.

Frowning, she put a thumb in her mouth and started sucking on it, something she did whenever she got nervous or worried about something. When her mother brought back the stew, she just stared at it, suddenly not having much of an appetite anymore. Ansly pushed the bowl away and crossed her arms, a sour look on her face. She stood up and walked over to the painted green door, tears welling up in her eyes. Pointing at it, she shouted, "Daddy!"

She didn't know why, but she had a very sick feeling in her belly, and she thought it had something to do with her daddy. But what was happening to her daddy to make her feel that way? "Daddy!" she screamed again, this time a little louder as she covered her eyes with her fists.

Misty immediately came to her side and embraced the little toddler as she started to sob.

"There, there, now. Mommy's got you. Daddy's gonna be fine, Ansie-bug. He always is," her mom whispered, her calm, soothing voice slowly consoling the distressed two-year-old.

Ansly shook her head. "No, Mommy! No!" she exclaimed, pointing at her heart, which was aching just as badly as her belly now.

Misty gasped, struck speechless as she cradled the little girl in her arms. Ansly felt the back of her shirt getting wet, and just knew it was her mother's tears. But why was Mommy crying too?

_Daddy, come home! Please, come home!_

* * *

Ash had a bad feeling about this. Ever since he'd heard from Jessie and James what Team Rocket was up to, something didn't quite feel right. The two former Rockets had informed him that the latest scheme involved burning the Pokémon Cathedral located in Hearthome City, but as far as he knew, Team Rocket had never been stationed in Sinnoh. That was Team Galactic's territory.

He'd released his Charizard and decided to fly there, not bothering to waste any time. He brought along all his water Pokémon, since he knew he would need them, as well as his best friend Pikachu, who was perched on his shoulder, alert and ready to battle. They'd been flying for nearly thirty minutes when Hearthome came into view, and sure enough, the cathedral was up in flames. Splashes of red, orange, and yellow danced across the building, uncontrollably charring the once beautiful place. Firetrucks, ambulances, and police cars were strewn around the entrance, all working together to put the fire out and save the people inside, as well as arresting the Rockets responsible.

They looked like they had it under control, but Ash knew Giovanni had something up his sleeve. He always did. To get a closer look, Ash commanded Charizard to descend and told Pikachu to stay alert.

"What are they planning?" he wondered aloud as Charizard came to a halt. "Any ideas, Pikachu?"

The Electric Mouse Pokémon shook his head. "Pi pi pi."

Ash sighed. "Charizard, let's land and help put the fire out," he ordered, but right as he'd said that, something struck Charizard from below, paralyzing his wings and sending the trio spiraling toward the forest floor. "Charizard, no!"

_What's happening? What hit us?!_

With these thoughts swirling frantically through Ash's head, he wrapped his arms around Charizard's neck and screamed, "Pikachu, hold on tight!" The yellow mouse obeyed, squeezing himself between Charizard and Ash, and clinging onto his Trainer for dear life.

_Is this it? Is this how I'm gonna die?_ Ash wondered, squeezing his eyes shut as the world closed in around them. _What's going to happen to Misty and Ansly? And what about the baby?!_

"Charizard, try to straighten your wings out!" Ash called, but to no avail. Charizard's wings refused to budge, like chains had been wrapped around them and he couldn't break free.

The fire Pokémon groaned, unable to heed his Trainer's commands.

"Come on, Charizard! I believe in you!" Ash shouted, but even as he said it, he realized they were too late. They'd reached the tops of the trees and started hurtling into the branches and briars in their way.

"Pikachu, it's—ngh—gonna—ngh—be okay!" he called out to his little buddy one last time, trying to reassure the electric Pokémon. _At least I hope._

"Ahhhhhh!" With a loud crash, Ash and his two Pokémon struck the ground, and almost immediately, the raven-haired hero blacked out.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so it's shorter than I'd intended, but I hope you like it Oooh, Ash was just sent plummeting to the ground.;D Thoughts? Opinions on what might happen next? I'd love to hear any comments you may have, so don't forget to review before you go!:D**


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